Given the different ages of beginners, from children to older generations, I suggest an uncomplicated beginning that is accessible even to a 9-10-year-old child. This type of carving is simple in technique, but spectacular in results. And most importantly, you are already working the wood as a material with a cutting tool, or rather, you are sawing, but it is a type of carving. I have no doubt that adults will be interested in sawing, will please his son or grandson with interesting figures made of wood. The starting material is a soft-rock board or 3-12 mm plywood. Tool – hand or electric jigsaw. Enterprises use a laser beam, but my task is to teach you how to cut wood with a hand-held tool. An electric jigsaw increases the speed and cleanliness of the sawing. Either way you need practice, the skill will come. The order of carving is as follows: draw or look for the outline drawing of the image. It can be an animal, a tree, a generalized human figure, a cartoon character, etc. (Fig. 4.1). For the first works the drawing should be without internal holes, so that to saw only along the edge, with a smooth, without fine details, external contour. In the subsequent products, if there are inner contours, drill a hole in the right place, release from the clamp one end of the jigsaw blade, insert it into this hole, tension again, clamp and make sawing. Secure the workpiece with a clamp or press it firmly against the stop by hand while sawing. Position the saw strictly perpendicular to the workpiece’s plane. Saw evenly, at the same speed, in small series, gently, without jerking, turning the jigsaw handle in the direction of the pattern. After sawing is complete sand the ends of parts, assemble the toy, glue, after drying frost or paint and varnish. If you are working with an electric jigsaw, press the workpiece against the table more firmly, move it smoothly along the pattern to the moving saw without jerking. Take care not to injure your fingers. Making a figurine of the animal, saw a pair of back and a pair of front legs, glue them to the body on both sides – a toy will gain stability. In some cases, make a stand and reinforce them figurines individually or in a composition, story scene.
